Improvement in corn-planters



J'. ASHCRAFT.

CORN-PLANTER. No. 173,574.

ATTORNEYS `Patented. Feb.15, 1876.

To all whom 'it-may concern clutch-box, a,

`frames E are connectedby NITED STATES v"JACOB Astronaut, or' irnA'znYsBUnG, OHIO.

lMPROVEMENT IN COl-N-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [73,574, dated February l5, 1876; application filed September 4, 1875.

Beit known that I, JACOB AsHcnAF'r, of Frazeysburg, in the county of VMuskingum and State of Ohio, vhave invented a new and valuable improvement in Corn Planters and Markers; and I do hereby declare that the following` is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same,

reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a'representation ot' a longitudinal vertical section of my cornplanter and marker, and Fig. 2 is a plan viewV of the same. This invention has relation to improvements in combined corn planters and markers; and the nature ofthe invention consists in the arrangement and`novel construction of the various devices used, as will be hereinafter more fully explained and claimed.

In the annexed drawings the letterA designates the longitudinal and the letter B the transverse beams ot' my improved planter and marker, which is mounted upon the axle C of two transporting master-Wheels D. These wheels are loosely applied upon the said shaft in the spaces formed between beams, A, next the side of the frame, and are locked thereto for the purpose of causing the shaft to rotate and actuate the"seeddro'pper by means of a j applied upon a square portion of' shaft, U, and adapted to be thrust into engagement with or disengaged from a counterpart box `on the said wheels, by means of vertically vibrating frames, E, which are pivoted at their lower ends ,to the frame of the machine, .and are connected with the said clutch-boxes by-means of metallic hooks c. In order that the clutches may be readily and simultaneously disengaged from the counterpart boxes on the. wheels, their operating` means of a chain or rope,F, with a shaft, G, in the nature of a ,Winding drum, havingI its bearings in the upper ends of two uprights, the frame.

d, erected upon This shaft is caused to rotate through the medium of -a crank-arm applied upon its -front `end, and when the masterwheels are ungeared from the dropper mechanism, it maybe locked against/backward rotation by the engagement of a pin, p, thereon, under a catch, e, projecting upward from the frame. I may, however, Vuse a pawl and ratchet for the purpose if I so elect.

At or near the center of the length ot' shaft or axle C are arranged two or more radial arms, f, to which is rigidly clamped, by means of suitable screws or bolts, a fiat metallic f end of a dropper-box, o, and is rigidly secured to a cylindrical dropper, I, arranged` inside of the said dropper-box, and each time that such contact occurs, treadle lgwill be raised, causing the cylindrical dropper to empty a planting of seed into an inclined chute, q, out of an open-ended seed-cup, t', formed in the said cylindrical dropper, whence it will be carried by a suitable spout, J, into a drill, cut by the usual Well-known drill-shovels or cultivatorteeth. In practice I shall use two seed-cups, emptying into an equal number ofl chutes, communicating each with a spout, emptying its contents just behind one of transporting wheels D, thus planting two rows of corn at once. After each partial rotation, the cylindrical dropper I will be returned to its normal position by means of a spring, S, secured to the treadle at one end and to the rear bar B of the frame, as shown in Fig. .1. I also cause clutch-boxes c to be returned to their engagement with wheels I), by means of suitable springs. 'Ihe axle of wheels C projects outward beyond them, and upon these projecting ends are keyed the hubs i' of two skeleton marker-wheels L. These wheels rotate with thetransporting wheels, and their feet r striking against the ground will, during such revolution, lay oft' in regularlyspaced lines, at right angles to the length ot' the furrow or drill, the space traveled over. As the land is marked off in the other direction by wheels D in the forward progress of the machine, the land is thus marked both Ways.

lVI designates a draft-tongue, having upon its lower side and its rear end a lconve-X block, t, fitting in between the central bars A of the frame. Through this block is passed a strong rod, R, by means of which the tongue is attached to the frame, which rod is rigidly but detachably secured across the front of of the same, as shown in Fig. 2. By this means, the tongue is allowed to have a degreeV of vertical vibration for the purpose of adjusting it to snit teams ot' dii'erent heights. In order that this adjustment may be readily made and secured, I have attached an arm, K, to the rear end of the tongue, which proets upward through a slot, i', in a horizontally rranged beam, N. This arm is provided with a number of spaced perforations, and beam N with a horizontal slot, s', through Y the hooks c, rope or cha-in F, and the mounted shaft G, in combination with theclutch-boxes a and master-wheels 'D, all loperating in the rmanner as described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

)moon AsHcRAFT.

Witnesses W. D. PACKARD, S. C. MOORE. 

